Many animal species, in addition to humans, require dental work from time-to-time. One such species is the equine species (e.g., horses). A horse's teeth erupt continuously though out its lifetime. The continuous eruption of a horse's teeth cause the teeth to wear unevenly. Irregularities in the horse's teeth often develop as a result of this uneven wear. These irregularities can take the form of spikes or sharp projecting edges. These irregularities must be removed. If not removed, they can cause the horse to experience difficulty in chewing and/or can damage the soft tissues on the inside of the horse's mouth such as the cheeks and tongue.
Generally, veterinarians remove these irregularities through a procedure called “floating.” In common terms, “floating” involves “filing,” “grinding,” or “rasping” the horse's teeth. Devices for floating a horses teeth are well known in the prior art. They range from hand-held manual floats and files to power floating devices having rotating or reciprocating grinding bits or pads.
Manual filing of a horses teeth can be a tiring and time consuming procedure. As a result, power floating devices have been developed to make floating a horse's teeth easier and more efficient. Such prior art power devices include the devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,685 which issued on Feb. 2, 1988 to de Estrada; U.S. Pat. No. 5,851,111 which issued on Dec. 22, 1998 to Long et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,888,064 which issued on Mar. 30, 1999 to Stubbs; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,712 which issued on Aug. 14, 2001 to Rach et al.
Each of the prior art power floating devices disclosed above includes an elongated tool body or shaft. The elongated tool body is generally provided to allow the veterinarian to reach deep inside of the horse's mouth. At or near one end of the elongated tool body is the grinding bit or surface. At or near the other end is a handle or grip for holding the device.
The elongated tool body of each of these prior art devices is straight and rigid. Having the grinding bit disposed at the end of a long, straight, and rigid tool body can be problematic. This is because it limits the maneuverability of the power tool inside of the horse's mouth.
For example, it is common for tooth irregularities to be present in the very back of the horse's mouth. In many cases, it is difficult to get at these irregularities. This is because other structures inside of the horse's mouth, such as the horse's other teeth or cheeks, may be in the way. To properly float these teeth, therefore, the veterinarian must maneuver around these other structures. This often requires the veterinarian to approach these teeth at an angle.
Similarly, it is often desirable to actually place an angle on the surface of a horse's tooth. Thus, the veterinarian often approaches a particular tooth at an angle not because access is limited, but simply because an angled surface is the desired result.
Approaching teeth inside of a horse's mouth at an angle using the prior art devices disclosed above often requires the veterinarian to hold the straight, rigid, elongated tool body of these prior art devices at an angle. Holding these prior art devices at an awkward angle can be extremely tiring for the veterinarian.
In addition, it may not even be possible to achieve the required angle of attack using the prior art devices. This is because during the floating procedure, the horses mouth is held open. If the angle needed to reach or grind a particular tooth is too great, the various structures of the horses open mouth, such as the lips or other teeth, will come into contact with the elongated tool body of the prior art devices and prevent the veterinarian from achieving the angle necessary to reach or properly grind the tooth requiring attention. This is especially true for teeth that reside deep in the horse's mouth.
It is desirable, therefore, to have a power floating apparatus that allows the veterinarian to grind teeth at various angles relative to the longitudinal axis of the elongated tool body while maintaining the elongated tool body in a horizontal or substantially horizontal position. Likewise, it is desirable to have a power floating device that will permit the veterinarian to reach teeth deep in the horse's mouth at an angle while maintaining the elongated tool body in a horizontal or substantially horizontal position, thus possibly avoiding interference with other structures in the horse's mouth. Preferably, the power dental tool will have an adjustable grinding end such that the grinding bit or surface can be angled relative to the elongated tool body.
Another problem with floating a horse's teeth is the need to remove the enamel dust that results from the grinding process. This dust can make it very difficult for the veterinarian to see inside of the horse's mouth. It is desirable, therefore, to have a system for vacuuming up the enamel dust that is produced by floating a horse's teeth. Preferably, the vacuum system will be integrated into the dental power tool and will provide suction in and around the grinding bit or grinding surface.
Finally, because many of the teeth that require floating are deep inside of the horses mouth, visibility may be limited. It is desirable, therefore, to also have a source of light available to the veterinarian. Preferably, the source of light will be integrated into the dental power tool and will provide adequate light in the vicinity of the tooth to be ground.